Mineral and vitamin supplements are often used to fortify the composition of food and beverages, both for human and veterinary use. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,467 to Pak et al, discloses the use of citrate based calcium sources for increasing the bioavailability of the calcium. U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,518 to Nakel et al., describes nutritional supplements comprising iron-sugar complexes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,282 to Mehansho et al. describes stable nutritional vitamin and mineral supplemented beverages.
It is known that the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium, for example, is around 1200 mg per day for an adult. Most of the dietary calcium in a western diet is from cow milk and other dairy products. The calcium content of cow milk is typically in the range of 900-1100 mg per liter, such that one liter almost provides the RDA. Cow milk substitutes such as soy milk or rice milk provide much less calcium than cow milk and almost all the Calcium is added artificially.
Calcium supplements find wide applications as food and beverage supplements. They are used, inter alia, to compensate calcium loss from the human body, as is exhibited in osteoporosis. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,283 to Mehansho et al. discloses iron-calcium mineral supplements with enhanced bioavailability. U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,837 to Burkes et al., discloses as sweetener supplement fortified with a concentrated bioavalible calcium source and process for making them. U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,506 to Andon discloses a concentrated bioavalible calcium source. U.S. Pat. No. 6,828,130 to Chatterjee et al., discloses methods for production of gluconate salts. U.S. Pat. No. 6,887,897 to Walsdorf, Sr., et al. discloses calcium glutarate supplements and phosphorus binders.
Numerous other relevant patents in the art of food and beverage supplements include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,214,996; 4,351,735; 4,551,342; 4,737,375; 4,851,221, 4,895,980, 4,985,593; 5,204,134; 5,213,134; 5,213,838; 5,219,889; 5,928,691; 6,287,607; 6,248,376 and 6,599,544.
Buddemeyer et al., disclose phosphate containing compositions for use as additives to milk in U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,376 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,544.